Vehicle-wheel.



L. HOSKINS.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1013.

1 1 1 5, 1 99. Patented Oct. 2? 19m.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

THE NORRIS FErERs CO PNOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON D, c.

L. HOSKINS.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.10.1918.

Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

- 1 1 4 sHEnTssHnET 2 THE NORRISFETERS 50.. PHOTv'LITHII. WASHINGTON D. C.

L. HOSKINS.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10. 1913.

1,1 1 5, 1 99. Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

4 SH'EETSSHEET at IlIIIIAW/IIIIIII L. HOSKINS.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED LIAN, 10. 1913.

1,115,199. Patented'0ct.27, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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7H1. NORRIS F'EHZRS cu. PHOTO LITHO WASHINC ION, '11v LAWRENCE Hosanna: or PLAINVILLE, ILLINOIS.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 10, 1913. Serial No. 741,190.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LAWRENCE HosKINs,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Plainville, in the county of Adams and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vehicle-Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in wheels of the type in which the hub-portion thereof is yieldingly supported on the rim of the wheel through the medium of springs for rendering the wheel resilient.

My primary object is to provide a simple and economical construction of wheel of the type above referred to, which shall be sufliciently sensitive in its action to absorb shocks in passing over rough roads, be rigid and durable, and present the advantages, without the disadvantages, of pneumatictired wheels.

Referring to the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a wheel constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view similar to that of Fig. 1, showing substantially one half of the wheel, one of the side-plates thereof being removed to show the details of the interior mechanism of the wheel, cer tainportions of which mechanism are omitted. Fig. 3 is a' view similar to Fig. 2 showing the upper and lower portions of the wheel and illustrating the operation of the upper and lower radial spring means thereof when the wheel is in use. Fig. 4 is a section taken at the line 4 on Fig. 5 and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 5 is a section taken at the line 5 on Fig. 4 and viewed in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 6, a perspective view of certain details of the mechanism which cooperates with the springs for producing the desired resilient action;

The hub of the wheel is represented at 7- of rivets 17 and at their radially-extending legs 18 with the plates 14 at the inner sides of the latter through the medium of rivets 19, whereby the plates 14 are rigidly secured to the ring 9 and form with the band 11 a channel 20 about the periphery of the ring 9, as clearly represented in Fig. 5, the plates 14 being connected together at their peripheral edges by means of yokes 21, secured to the inner sides of the plates 14 and equipped with sleeves 22 which extend radially of the wheel center and in radial aline ment wlth the spokes 8 as represented, it being preferred that one of these sleeves be provided for each spoke and. that theyokes 21 carrying these sleeves alternate with the yokes 15.

Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

The rim-portion of the wheel is preferably I formed of an annular band 23 secured to spaced side-plates 24 as through the medium of yoke-shaped members 25 secured to. the band 23, as indicated at 26, and t0 the sideplates 24 by screws, as indicated at 27 and rings 28 of angular shape in cross-section riveted, as indicated at 29, to the inner surfaces of the plates 24, to provide inwardly extending flanges 30 opposing each other, but spaced apart as represented in Fig. 5, the plates 24 overlapping the plates 14 sufficiently far to insure overlapping relation of these parts at all times in the operation of the wheel, the plates 24 projecting peripherally beyond the band 23 to form a channel about the periphery of the wheel for receiving a rubber tire illustrated diagrammatically at 31.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the hub-portion ofthe wheel carrying the parts described and the rim portion thereof are separate structures, the one being guidedly confined on the other.

In order to provide for. the: desired resiliency in the wheel and to provide operative connection between the hub-portion and rim-portion thereof, a system of spring devices is employed of which the following is a description: v

In carrying out my lnvention inthe preferred manner, I provide a series of radial radially disposed springs in the action of v the wheel.

Theradially disposed spring-means above referred to are provided-1n a series between the periphery of the hubport1on of the wheel and the rim portion thereof, and as each of these spring means is the same, a.

description of one only thereof will suflice. Slidably confined in a sleeve 22 is a radiallyext-ending reciprocable rod 32, extending at its outer end into, and secured as by a pin 33 to, a yoke-member-34 which normally liesv withinthe adjacent one of the members 2-). The inner ends of the yoke-member 34, which are extended circumferentially of the wheel, as indicated at 35, are located between the-band 23 and the flanges 30, and

I overlap the latter as indicated in Fig.

Secured'to the yoke-member 34 at its exten SlOl'lS 35 are spacers 36, which lie within the continuous slot provided between the flanges 30 and rigidly secured to the spacersZ-SG to overlap the flanges 30 at the inner periphcries of the latter, is a curved plate 37,

through an opening 38 in which the rod 32 loosely extends, the part just described being so constructed and arranged that they have sliding engagement with the flanges for a purpose whichwill be readily understood from thegfollowing.

10 to. the ring 9 at opposite sides of the 30 sleeves'22 are plates 39, these plates being Secured by the bolts flanged along an edge thereof, as indicated at 40, in order that they shall extend at right angles to the rod 32 adjacent thereto. The

opposite ends of the plate 37 are provided with yoke-shaped members 41, which extend toward the center of the wheel and preferably parallel with the rod 32, and the opposing plates 39 are also equipped with yoke inembers42, which extend away from the center ofthe wheel and preferably parallel with the rod 32. Slidably confined on the side-sections of the yokes 41 and 42 are.

plates-43 and 44, respectively, these plates being provided with yoke-shaped members; 45 and 46, which extend toward and away j from the center of the wheel, res ectively, 1

and arranged in parallel relation to each other, but at angles of approximately ninety degrees toithe yokes 41 and 42, the yoke 42 interlocking with the yoke 45 and the yoke 41 interlocking with the yoke 46. A coiled spring 47 fits at its opposite ends in sockets provided on the opposed faces of the plates 43 and 44, and surrounds the interlocking yoke-members 41, 42, 45 and 46, these center of the wheel to draw the plates 43 and 44 toward each other and thus compress the springs 47 cooperating therewith, whereas, as to the springs below the center of the Wheel, the plates 37 and 39 will be drawn toward each other and consequently compress the'springs below the center of the wheel as illustrated in Fig. 3.

1n the movement of the center portion of stantially right angles to those of the radi ally disposed springs which produce the most effective resistance, and to this end 1 provide the series of circumferentially-disposed springs hereinbefore referred to and which cooperate with the central, or hub, section. of the wheel, or to be more specific, with the yokes 34, which by being substantially rigid with the rods 32 form a part of the hub-portion of the wheel. These circumferentially-disposed springs are repre sented at 48 and are shown as located between the ring 23 and the flanges 30,. and are confined under expansion tension against plates 49 and 50, arranged in pairs and located between adjacent ones of the yokemembers 25 and bearing against the latter asrepresentedin Fig. 2, the plates 49 and 50 preferably carryingyoke-members 51 and 52, respectively,warranged at angles to each otheras represented in Fig. 2 and serving to hold the springs 48 against buckling when compressed under the action of the wheel in use.

It will be understood from the foregoing that when any pressure is brought to bear on the hub-portion of the wheel, tending to depress it, such force will not only be yieldinglv resisted by the radial springs 47, but will also be resisted by the'springs 48, owing to the depression of the central portion of the wheel, which will cause the yoke-members 34 to depress and bear against theadjacent ones of the plates 49 below them, the plates at the opposite ends of these springs being held against movement by engaging with the yoke-members 25 below them, thus causing the springs 48 to become compressed,

thereby aiding the radial springs in resiliently'supporting the central oortionof the wheel on the rimportion thereof,

' While I have illustrated and described the specific form in which I prefer to provide my invention, 1 do not wish to be understood as intending to limit it to such form, as the same may be variously modified and altered without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a vehicle-wheel, the combination of a hub-section, a rim-section guidedly confined thereon, telescopic means mounted in one section and loosely mounted in the other to permit circumferential movement, radially-disposed springs located between said rim-section and hub-section, members engaging said springs at opposite ends of the latter, and means connecting those of said members which are positioned at the outer ends of said springs, with said hub-section and said members at the inner ends of said springs with said rim-section.

2. In a vehicle-wheel, the combination of a hub-section, a rim-section guidedly confined thereon, telescopic means mounted in one section and loosely mountedin the other to permit circumferential movement, radially-disposed springs located between said rim-section and hubsection, members engaging said springs at opposite ends of the latter, confined between, and overlapping parts of, sa1d sections, and means connecting those of said members which are positioned at the outer ends of said springs with one of said sections, and said members at the inner ends of said springs with the other of said sections.

3. In a vehicle-wheel, the combination of a hub-section, a rim-section guidedly confined thereon, a telescopic member mounted in the hub-section and having its other end loosely mounted in the rim section adapted to permit circumferential movement, radially-disposed springs located between said rim-section and hub-section, members engaging said springs at opposite ends of the latter, and confined between, and overlapon one of said sections but having movement circumferentially thereof, radially-dis posed springs located between said members and the other of said sections, members engaging said springs at opposite ends of the latter and bearing against said first-named members and said last-referred to wheelsection, and means connecting those of said members which are positioned at an end of said springs with said first-named members, and those of said members which are positioned at the other end of said springs with said last-referred to wheel-section.

5. In a vehicle-wheel, the combination of a hub-section, a rim-section guidedly confined thereon, a series of members con fined on said rim-section but having movement circumferentially thereof, radially-disposed springs located between said members and said hub-section, members engaging said springs at opposite ends of the latter and bearing against said first-named members and saidhub-section, and means connecting those of said last-named members which are positioned at the outer ends of said springs, with said hub-section and said members at the inner ends of said springs with said first-named members.

LAWRENCE HOSKINS.

In presence of I. W. YOUNG,

G. W. WILLFORD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

